Rangers' Barrie McKay is looking forward to gaining his first full international cap and seeing what he can learn from the senior members of the Scotland squad while in Malta ahead of the friendly against Italy before taking on France next Saturday in Metz as both of their opponents make their final preparations for EURO2016. Despite not being involved in the finals in France, McKay is still looking to get as much as possible out of what is his first international call-up.
He said: "It means a lot to me and it’s a privilege to be called up for your country at any level, and having already played for the 21s, it means a lot to be called up for the senior squad for the first time. The standard here is really good and the boys here are playing at a really high level. They’re a great bunch too and have really made me feel at home. I can learn a lot from the experienced professionals, just as I can and have at Rangers with the likes of Kenny (Miller) and Lee (Wallace) being there. To be able to say you’ve even shared the same pitch as some of those players is great."
Scotland are being used as warm-up sides by two of the favourites for the tournament in the two game, and McKay is desperate to test himself against some of the continent’s best players. He went on: "You couldn’t have picked two better games to be a part of, and even if I’m not to play, seeing how the top players play and how our boys do against them will be great. I could take a couple of pointers on how the top European players play their game and maybe even adapt to it. I’m really looking forward to the France game in particular. I played against them at under-21 level so it will be good to see the difference between the two sides."